The present invention relates to the ball return system for one type of automatic pinsetting machine and, more particularly, to the ball elevator which forms part of the system for returning the ball to the bowler.
In one type of automatic pinsetting machine the bowling ball after being thrown by the bowler reaches a pit conveyor at the end of the lane. A ball elevator receives the ball from the pit conveyor and carries it up to the ball return track. When the ball has picked up some of the conditioning oil applied regularly to the lane as a maintenance operation, the ball will not have enough friction to be picked up by the ball elevator. When this happens the ball must be moved manually. This condition delays the game and is a source of annoyance to the bowler and a time-consuming, money-losing incovenience to the management.